Can opening or closing implement.



No. 747,831. PATENTED DEG. 22,1903.- J. B. AIKIN.

CAN OPENING OR CLOSING IMPLEMENT.

AYPLIOATION FILED 001225, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

//v VENTOH 1 Jae/wk iiz" A TTOH/VEYS UNITED STATES Patented December 22, 1903.

JOHN B. AIKIN, OF BLOOMINGTON, OHIO.

CAN OPENING OR CLOSING IMPLEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 747,831, dated, December 22, 1903. Application filed October 25,1902. Serial No. 128,699- (No model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. AIKIN, residing at Bloomington, in the county of Clinton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Can Opening or Closing Implement, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its purpose to pro- Vide a new and improved implement capable of being conveniently manipulated for aiding in the applying or removal of the tops or closure members of fruit cans or vessels in which the said closure member or top is hermetically sealed by solder or wax; and it comprehends a peculiar construction of an implement of the kind stated having a head portion of castiron or other metal one end of which is especially designed for fitting closely in the grooves or joined edges of the lid or can-top whereby to quickly and effectively loosen the solder and having its other end designed for melting wax or other sealing substance on the glass or-tin closure members applied in that manner on the vessel or can it also having a handle portion joined with the head and extended therefrom in a plane at right angles to the vertical of the said head.

In its more subordinate features my invention consists in certain details of construction and peculiar combination of parts hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view illustrating the manner in which my invention is used for removing the lid of an ordinary fruit-can. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the manner of using the same for melting and spreading the wax in the groove around the lid or cover for hermetically sealing the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of my improved implement. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the head; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the head, illustrating the puncture-soldering portion.

In the practical construction my invention embodies a circular head-piece 1, preferably made of cast-iron or copper and provided with a laterally-.proj ected hub or boss 1 to receive the shank 2 of the handle 2, which, as will be clearly seen from the drawings, extends from the head in a plane at right an gles to the vertical plane thereof, the reason for which will presently appear. At one end effective manner.

the head 1 terminates in an annularV-shaped beveled rim 1), and the said head and its rim 6 in practice are of such size and shape as to conform and fit the can lids or tops and the grooves for same in the top of the fruit and other cans such as are now in general use and about uniform in size.

In using the implement to aid in opening the can the same is manipulated substantially in the manner shown in Fig. 1, and the beveled portion b by reason of snugly fitting the soldered joint between the can-top and the lid readily melts the solder in a quick and By reason of the head being made circular it can be quickly heated to the desired degree and admits of using a fork, knife, or other metalimplement that can be held in the opening of the head and drawn against the lid when soldering and in plain view of the operator.

In the operation of the implement for removing the lid I find it advisable to first make a small puncture in the center of the lid to admit air into the can, as this permits of the easy removal of the can-lid and keeps the metal solder from flowing into the can.

The end of the head opposite the beveled rim 1) has a tlat annular face 0, which is especially designed for melting sealing-wax in opening or sealing glass or tin covers or lid members, and by reason of its circular and flat rim surface it will melt the Wax or soldering substance evenly and spread same elfectively in the groove or joint around the lid or cover. To further provide for using my implement as an ordinary soldering-iron, the edge of the portion a is beveled, as at c, to admit of flatly pressing the head in angles or beveled corners, and at one side the head has a flat portion d, whose rubbing-surface d is in a plane concentric with the periphery of the head. This portion of the head is useful for soldering and mending other tinware.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed the advantages of my invention will readily appear.

I am aware that devices have heretofore been employed in the nature of a disk having a flat soldering-face slidably mounted on a guide adapted to be held pressed down on the can-lid with one hand as the disk is manipul nular enlarged flat rim 0 at one end, and havlated with the other hand. My invention differentiates from such type of soldering devices in the peculiar construction of the hollow head, With its especially-designed faces on the opposite ends and the complete detailed construction of the several parts thereof, as set out in the claim.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

An implement of the characterstared, comprising a circular hollow head having an aning its opposite end beveled inwardly from the outer face and having the inner face of said end beveled outwardly at the same end whereby a V-shaped annular soldering-rim is formed, the said body also having a laterally-projected integral socket to receive a handle, and at one side, a flat supplemental soldering-surface, for the purposes described.

JOHN B. AIKIN. Witnesses:

GEO. O. BARNS, HOWARD BARNS. 

